Authors using Gransnet for research?

Not read a book but tv and radio discussions often seem to get their initial topics from chat forums like gransnet and sometimes I have been suspicious of people asking leading questions and then waiting ages before they rejoining the discussion that has resulted or never seeming to come back.

Hmm, I haven't noticed but perhaps we should be more sparing with information on here. Your post has made me think.

But authors have always drawn their characters, settings, situations etc from being watchful, listening to conversations, just picking up little things as they go about their lives. They would generally always have a notebook to hand to jot things down for future use. Why wouldn’t they take inspiration from conversations on forum threads? Does it matter?

It worries me that this forum is open to absolutely anyone, that is why I never post pictures of DGC. I would hate to see them being replicated anywhere else.

But Gransnet is just LIFE reflected in people's comments.

Long before I came here I could easily have wrtten an article, or even a book about the stuff we now read on these forums. Because that's what life is like - for everyone.

No one's problem is unique.

Big Brother may well be watching you but he doesn't need to come here for information or inspiration just look around you.

I first found GN when it was credited at the back of a book that I'd enjoyed. Unfortunately I can't remember the author but I reckon she must be a regular lurker or contributor. If she's reading this - thanks it was a good book!

What could authors write about, if not what happns in real life - and their spin on it. I think all of us have read books that are deeply unsatisfactory because the author doesn't have any understanding of their subject matter.

None of the wide range of topics covered in GN is exceptional,almost everything that is discussed is common to many people and the wide variety and income of GN members means there is a depth and width to threads that cannot be found elsewhere.

I would expect that any serious author writing about family situations and the roles played by grandparents to be an assiduous follower of GN.

I think the scenario brought up in your op Farmor is an increasing facet for some grandparents these days Quite possibly the author may have drawn from GN, but I think unfortunately that situation, is a lot more general than it was once in my humble opinion.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Reported.

"The single ladies of Jacaranda retirement village", by Joanna Nell.

I don't know Farmor.
It is an Australian book by an Australian author and I do know that many of the threads on Gransnet are repeated word for word in an Australian oldies publication, so yes, it could be so.

However, I did enjoy that book and found it very funny in parts, especially as I had an elderly relative in such a retirement village in Australia, sadly she is now in a care home.